Monday, June 10, 2013

Monday, June 10, 2013

Gustave: Search For A Man-Eater

For 20 years, near Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, locals have been
terrorized by one of the largest freshwater crocodiles in the world. The
25 foot long crocodile, named Gustave, has an insatiable appetite...
for people. He is known for having eaten over 200 people, though some
believe that number to be as high as 300. In the past, all attempts to
catch or kill Gustave were unsuccessful. Still, for one man who has made
it his mission to hunt the crocodile, there may be a more humane solution to stopping this man-eater.

Patrice Fey is a Frenchman, but he's been living in Burundi for the past
two decades. He became something of a local hero 11 years ago when he
made his first attempts to capture Gustave using a trap, but that didn't
work out well. "He must have a very strong survival instinct , because
he has survived while other crocodiles were massacred," Fey told the BBC
Brasil.

Despite the fact that Gustave has eaten so many people, Fey still has
respect for his elusive nemesis--and does not intend on killing him.

We live in an age where creatures like
these are increasingly rare. He's a prehistoric animal, very fat. In
the water, he's like a hippo. But he still has all his teeth, suggesting
that he is about 68 years.

During one three month period that he followed the crocodile, 17 people
were eaten. This had lead Fey to estimate that Gustave has probably
eaten over 300 in the last 20 years. "I do not think it is a matter of
taste, but a question of what he can hunt," he said.

Fey points out that Gustave's massive size likely makes acquiring more
conventional meals difficult--plus a diet of fish probably wouldn't be
enough to satisfy his appetite. Faye says the crocodile "has no choice
but to hunt easier prey," and humans in or around the lake are good
candidates.

So, what's the best way to humanely deal with a man-eating crocodile?
Fey hopes that following Gustave's movements more closely might reduce
the numbers of people being eaten.

I have informants. In Burundi,
thousands of people who live along the lake, especially fishermen who
spend most of their time in water. I gave them a dozen cell phones to tell me where he is.

Still, some gun-wielding locals have made attempts to stop Gustave
themselves. "Many fishermen said they had hit him. He seems to have
bullet proof leather."

It may take more than a bullet to stop an enormous, man-eating crocodile--or to discourage his devoted follower, Patrice Fey.

I will remain faithful to Gustave and expect him to do the same.

NOTE: In Capturing the Killer Croc
Patrice Fey and other scientists attempted to capture Gustave.
According to the film, Patrice had done two years of investigations
before the capture attempt. However, Patrice and the scientists were
given a 2-month time slot for capturing the beast; afterwards, a change
of government would risk plunging the country into civil war. First, a
trap cage weighing a ton and nearly 30 feet in length was developed. The
team then located Gustave and installed the cage and baited it -- and
also placed a hidden infrared camera into the cage. Several different
forms of bait were installed, yet none of them attracted Gustave or any
other creature. The scientists also then installed three giant snares on
strategic banks to increase their chances of capture; although smaller crocodiles were caught by the traps, Gustave wasn't.

In their last week of time before having to leave the country, the team
then installed a live goat into the cage; but night after night were no
results yielded. On one night, the camera gave out due to the stormy
weather; the next morning, the cage was found partially submerged and
sunken into the water whilst the goat had disappeared. It was speculated
that the rising waters from the rain helped the monster to escape his
hunters, or that the trap cage failed; but with no visual evidence as to
what happened and now forced to leave Burundi due to political conditions, the team was only left to guess and will never know for sure what exactly happened that night

UPDATE: As of May 2013, the last reported sighting of Gustave was in
February 2008 by National Geographic sources. A lack of subsequent
reports makes Gustave's current status uncertain. Here is a link to a
2005 National Geographic report on this beast - Gustave, the Killer Crocodile

About Me

Over 20 years of continuous R&D "GIZMO'S & GADGETS DEVELOPMENT" including project engineering, design, research & prototyping development in all facets of technology especially communication systems. Published Author as well.
Also known as "Q".....The Gadget Man